Spring, Virginia Style -- Flora

You may recall my excitement last year about the coming of Spring. Well, this year has surpassed last year's delights! Perhaps that's partly because we had the whole winter to heighten our anticipation, and it's certainly largely due to spending more time at the local gardens. And let's be real -- it's mostly because I'm finally in a climate where foxglove thrives.

I hold Beatrix Potter responsible for my unaccountable obsession with foxglove! I love many other flowers, but none so much as this. 

There were so many of them at our local gardens. Pink, purple, white. Happy, happy me!

But first came the daffodils, and the camellias. This was the only picture of a camellia that I took; I think I must have been overwhelmed by the variety and profusion. But really, what would I do with a dozen (or even half a dozen!) camellia pictures? I can't seem to resist taking photos of every lovely plant that catches my eye, which then languish in my photo files. Perhaps that's why I post so many on my blog! They feel "purposeful" if they're shared.

Lenten roses (hellebores) and dogwoods bloomed next -- we have five dogwood trees in our back yard, and one is planted right outside my kitchen window. How I waited and waited for that tree to bloom! Though the pink dogwood pictured below was a discovery at the gardens:

Summer snowflakes

Parsley

Tulips! Another rarity in Florida

One of my favorite discoveries at the gardens this year was lupine -- ever since we read Miss Rumphius, I have wanted to see lupine for myself. They're so lovely! Pink, purple, and white, just like the ones Alice planted. I have plans to add some to our landscape next year. I was tickled when we found the lupine covered with seed pods after they'd bloomed; perfect for showing the littles how the flowers made the seeds that Miss Rumphius scattered on her walks!

Our scraggly rosebush managed to produce a few lovelies -- I think it's badly in need of pruning! Perhaps next year it will do a little better.

And now, it's hydrangeas. Every shape, size, color. It seems that Virginia is a hotbed for my favorite plants! Though I haven't noticed any hollyhocks -- still, if foxglove grows here, I'd imagine hollyhocks would, too.

Another Virginia delight? Willow trees. I think I saw maybe one or two in our old Florida haunts, but here they grow everywhere! I have such fond memories of willow trees from my childhood in England, so I feel a warm glow every time I spot one here.

 And while our roses at home may be scarce, the local gardens can boast a much larger and impressive variety! In fact, I doubt I'll plant many (if any) roses in our garden, because I can always nip over there for my rose "fix." I couldn't resist a snapshot of these particular beauties, mostly because the variety is "Winchester Cathedral" (a lovely minster, and Jane Austen's final resting place).

I've saved the "fauna" for another post, because this is already lengthier than usual! It's been a chilly, rainy Spring, and I'm actually ready for Summer -- but I'm already looking forward to next year's Spring. More daffodils! More foxglove! Because "Spring" here is just a synonym for "Anticipation."

"He has made everything beautiful in its time."

Ecclesiastes 3:11